TSA to End Shoe Removal Requirement at Airport Security Checkpoints

Travel|T.S.A. to Let Travelers Keep Their Shoes On, Ending Hated Rule

Travelers at some airports, including LaGuardia, may no longer need to undergo one of the most loathed requirements of security screening. For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Transportation Security Administration is letting people keep their shoes on.

In recent days, the T.S.A. began dropping its requirement for travelers to remove shoes, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The agency has not officially announced this change and did not confirm the new policy, which appears to be taking effect at airports across the country.

“T.S.A. and D.H.S. are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture,” a T.S.A. spokesman said. “Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.”

The change was first reported by Gate Access, a travel newsletter written by Caleb Harmon-Marshall, who says he is a former T.S.A. officer. He added that he had seen a soft launch of the new policy at an airport as well as an internal memo briefing officers about it.

The new policy is good for passengers and is long overdue, Mr. Harmon-Marshall said in an emailed statement. He added that officers would now be able to screen travelers more swiftly.

“They should feel relieved knowing that technology has advanced so significantly that T.S.A. officers can detect threats while wearing shoes,” he added. “In the old days, this wasn’t the case.”

The T.S.A. has been requiring passengers to remove their shoes since 2006, nearly five years after a terrorist tried to detonate an explosive in his shoe while aboard an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami.

Travelers pay for the privilege for keeping their shoes on, one of the hallmarks of the T.S.A.’s PreCheck program, which costs roughly $80 for five years and grants expedited screening. Mr. Harmon-Marshall said in his statement that he believed a “huge shift” was underway with the PreCheck program.

The T.S.A. knows that allowing standard travelers access to perks like keeping on their shoes “will significantly diminish the value of PreCheck,” he added.

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